Habby c



H. C. ADAIVI.

LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPHCATION FILED 0(IT.8. 1918.

Patented June 24, 1919.

REFLECTING SURFACE To all whom it may concern:

nann c, ADAM, or sit. Louis, mssouni.

mon'rme-rixrunn.

Specification of Letterslatent.

I Patented June 24, 1919.

' Application 1115a oot'ober 8,1918. Serla11io.257,357..

Be it known that I, HARRY C- ADAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at St.

Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inLighting-Fix: tures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itap'per-r tains to make-and use the same.

This invention relates to li hting fixtures of the type in which anelectric lighting unit is inclosed in a diflusing bowl and an opaquecanopy or shell that supports the bowl and serves as a closure for theopen upper ,end of the bowl.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a lighting fixtureof the general type referred to that is designed for use with aconcentrated filament incandescent lamp and which is constructed in anovel manner that insures the major ortion of the horizontal,approximately holgz'ontal and upwardly inclined rays emitted from thelamp being reflected downwardly into the useful plane.

Another object is to provide a lighting fixture having thecharacteristics above referred to that softly illuminates ,the ceilingabove the fixture; that presents a neat and ornamental appearance; thatcan be manufactured and sold at a low cost; that can be taken apart andassembled easily and -which is so constructed'that the metal parts ofsame can be used successfully with different sized lighting units anddiflerent sized diffusing bowls by simply raising or lowering the partthat carries the diffusing bowl so as to maintain the proper relationbetween the lighting unit, the diflusing bowl and the reflector which isarranged above the filament of the lighting unit. Other objects anddesirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view partly in vertical section and partlyin elevation of a lighting fixture constructed-in accordance with myinvention; and

Fig. 2' is a detail sectional view, illustrating a slight modificationof my invention.

Referring to-Fig. 1 of the drawings, which illustrates the preferredform of my invention, A designates'the diffusing. bowl of my improvedlighting fixture which is prefer ably formed of translucent glass, Bdesignates the lighting unit consisting of a concentrated filamentincandescent lamp, commonlytermed a nitrogen gas filled" lamp;

0 designates a shell or canopy formed of sheet metal or other suitableopaque material that supports the bowl A and serves as a closure for theopen'upper end of said.

bowl,'D designates a reflecting surface thatis arranged above thefilament a: of the lighting unit andE designates an electrical recetacle that-carries the lighting unit B.

The fixture can either be mounted upon or arranged, in close proximityto the ceiling of a room, or it can be suspended from the ceiling by achain or other suitable means.

Furthermore, the parts previously. referred to,which constitutethe-essential elements of my improved fixture, can becombined orconnected together in various ways without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. The diffusing bowl A is preferably of substantially theform shown in Fig. 1 and is provided with a concavo-convex lower portion1 and an'upper portion 2 of substantially frusto-conical shape in.general out line whose base is of greater. diameter-than the lowerportion 1 of the bowl and con'- 'nected to said lower portion by apart 3that is disposed. in a substantially horizontal of ahemispherical-shaped lower portion 1 whose upper edge merges into anoutwardly flared part" 3, which, in turn, merges into a'frusto-conical-shaped part 2 that projects inwardly over. the lowerportion 1 of the bowl. The upper and lower portionscf the bowl caneither be formed separately or integrally connected together, and theouter surface of the bowl can either be plain or ornamented. The opaqueshell 0, which serves as a closure for the open upper end of the bowland also as a housing for the lighting unit B, can be of any preferredshape, but I prefer to use a shell of substantially bell shape orfrusto-conical form and provide the lower end of said shell with a rimor depending flange 4 that fits over a flange 5 at the upper edge of thebowl A,

- the bowl being connected to the shell C inplane. In other words, thebowl A consists its a each other an the main portion f downwardlyinclined,

oblique rays from the lighting unit, indicated by. the lines in.

Fig.1 1,'will throu h the-lower ortion 1" Most o the rays w ich are" ofthe bow emitted from the li ghtin unit at=such angles that they. willnot pass lrectlythrough the' lower portion 1- of the bowl are alsoutilized to illuminate thespace'beneath thereby producin a fixture inwhich the major portion of t e rays from, the lighting unit are directeddownwardly into theusefu plane. I accomplish this'by providiggthe" areemitted from the lighting unit above the an le of 90 strike thereflector D and are reflected downwardly from same eitheiv di rectlythrough the-lower portion of the bowl or throu h the base portion of thetrust-oconical-s aped u per part 2- of th'e'bowl, as indicated by theines 3/ in Fig. 1. The rays that are emitted the ap roximate anglesindicated by the line a in upper part 2 of the bowl and are reflecteddownwardly from same through the part 3 of the bowl and the baseportionof the 'frusto-conicahshaped top part 2i mniediately-adjacent the same.Itwill, of course,

be understood that many of the light re s are absorbedby the reflector Dand by the top portion 2 of the bowl, and further,- that not all of therays will travel in the articular directions indicated by the t eegroups of lines w, y and 2, but in ractice the major ortion of the raystrave in the manner in icated by the lines w, and 2, thereby causingmost of the re s lighting unit to be utilizedto il uminate the spacebeneath'the fixture where thelight is most needed. When the fixture isintended to be mounted upon or arranged in close proximity to theceiling of a room I prefer to equip-the fixture with a ceiling canopythat is adapted to be connected to 'a ceiling outlet box G, or othersuitable supporting structure in the ceiling, by means of screws 7. Theshell 0 can be connected to said .ceiling canopy in various ways withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, but for the sake of economyin manufacture and ease in assembling and disassembling the fixture, Iprefer to o a cane y F together and also secure the electrics receptacleE in operative position by '---=:1,acv,e7e s "on an externall -vid witha to same up e fixture,

a su stanfrom the lighting unit at g. 1 strike the. inwardly inclinedvbowls.-

the

em the holes-12 that are mp the shell 0 and the ceiling means of.aclamping-fin 8 that is mounted screwread ed ortion 9 9n the electrics.receptacle E.. shown 111B" .10! the drawin the shell 0 is prowall 0 thatbears the underside o the eeil canopy abuttingfigtions havin a1 ughwhich e externally screwthreaded portion 9 of the electrical-recs ta-.cle can be inserted. After the shell 0, cei ing canopy F- andelectrical combined in the anner described, the retaining r1ng.8

is screwed downwardly onto the externally screw-threaded portion 9erably 1 of the electrical receptacle so as to securely clamp theabutting portions of the canopy and shell together and claim theretaining ring 8 and a cage 9' onthe E said nod openingsinthem between.

'76 receptacle E have I electrical receptacle. If the fixture is dey Isignedto be suspended from the ceiling by means of achainor'other'device the ceiling ture may be used with different sizedlightin units and diiferent sized difiusing bowls, I ave constructed theshell C in such a man ner that the lower'part of said shell and the.

diifusin bowl A- can be raised and lowered relative to the top part ofthe shell Cto which t e'electrical receptacle E .is connected, therebyenabling the proper relation between the lightingunit B, the reflector Da and the bowl A to 'be'maintained with different sized lighting unitsand diffusing One convenient'way of accomplishing this desirable resultis to provide the canolpy F canbe omitted and the'receptacle E e clam edto theshell G by means of shell 0 with a top, .portion 0' that isarranged in telescopic engagement with the lower portion ofv said she Iand which is consuitable fastening devices preferably screws that aremounted in ower portion of the shell and which are adapted to be screwedinto one of a nected to same by 11,-

rality' of sets of internally screw threaded arranged inthe top ortion Cin different horizontal planes. I a medium .sized' lighting unit isused, the lower portion of the shell 0 is arranged in the manner shownin Fig. 1, namely, with the screwsll in the intermediate set of holes12. I

When a large sized. lightin unit is used, the

lower portion of said she] is moved downwardly far enough to permit saidscrews to' beinserted in the bottom set of holes 12, said bottom set ofholes beingspaced' far .enough below the intermediate set of holes tocompensate for the additional len h of the 11g ting unit, "and thusmaintain the proper relationbetween the lighting unit and the upperportion 2 of the diffusing bowl.

. When a small sized lighting unit is used the 55 lighting unit and at apoint above the ina lower portion of the shell C is moved upwardly farenough to enable the fastening devices 11 to beinserted in the top setof holes 12 in the upper portion C of the shell, thereby maintainingsubstantially the same relation between the lighting unit and the upperportion of the bowl as is maintained when a medium sized or a largesized lighting unit is used.

It is immaterial how the reflector D is retained in operative position,and while the particular curvature of said-top'reflector is immaterial,I prefer to make it substantially cone-shaped or bell shaped in outline.The

. ciency, in that the rays emitted from the lighting unit at upwardlyinclined angles and in horizontal and substantially horizontal planesare utilized principally to illuminate the space beneath the fixture.Such a fixture presents a neat and ornamental appearance; it softlyilluminates the ceiling above the fixture; it can be manufactured andsold at a low cost and it can be easily assembled or disassembled,thereby greatly facilitating cleaning of the fixture and alsoinstallation or removal of the fixture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A lighting fixture, comprising a-bowl provided at its upper end withan upwardly inclined light diifusing'and reflecting portion that rojectsinwardly over the lower portion 0% the bowl, an opaque shell that servesas a closure for the opening in the upper end of the bowl, an electriclighting unlt arranged in the space iuclosed by said shell and bowl andpositioned with relation to the bowl so thatits filament lies in ahigher horizontal plane than the major part of the upwardly inclinedportion of the 'bowl, and a substantially cone-shaped refleeting surfacearranged inside of said shell in close proximity to the filament of saidwardly inclined upper portion of the bowl, I for the purpose described;

2. A lighting fixture, comprising a diflusing bowl provided at its upperend with a substantially frusto-conical-shaped light diffusing andreflecting portion of greater diameter than the lower portion of thebowl, a shell that serves'as a closure for the open upper end of thebowl, an electric lighting unit arranged inside of said shell in such aposition that most of the horizontal anddownwardly inclined rays whichare emitted from said lighting unit will either pass through the lowerportion of the bowl or will strike the frusto-conical-shaped upperportion of the bowl and be reflected downwardly by same, and areflecting surface arranged inside of said shell in sufiiciently closeproximity tothe filament'of thelighting unit to cause the upwardlyinclined rays emitted from the lighting unit to be reflected downwardly.

3. A lighting fixture, comprising a diifusing bowl having asubstantially hemispherical shaped lower portion and a substantiallyfrusto-conical-shaped upper portion whose base is of greater diameterthan the lower portion of thebowl, the upper and lower portions of thebowl being translucent, an opaque shell that serves as a closure for the.open upper end of the bowl, a lighting unit consisting of aconcentrated filament inc-andescent lamp arranged between the shell andthe bowl, with its filament positioned at or above the to edge portionof the bowl, and a substantially bell shaped reflector arranged insideof the shell in such a position with relation to the lighting unit thatit will refleet downwardly through the bowl most of the rays that areemitted from the lighting unit above the angle of 90.

4. A lighting'fixture, comprising a diffusing bowl rovided at its upperend with an upwardly inclined light diffusing and reflect- 'mg portionof greater diameter than the lower ortion of the bowl which projectsinwar y over. said lower portion, an opaque shell that carries said bowland serves as a closure for the open upper end of the bowl, anelectrical receptacle arranged in the upper portion ofsaid shell andadapted to receive an incandescent electric lamp, and a substantiallybell shaped reflector arranged inside of said shell with its lower edgeportion flaring outwardly away from the filament of the lighting unitand terminating in approximately the same horizontal plane in which saidfilament lies.

HARRY o. ADAM.

